UPSET: Oregon State Holds Off #12 Wisconsin, Sink Badgers Title Hopes

The Oregon State Beavers had their scheduled altered after their first two original opponents cancelled their games. So instead of opening the season last week, the Beavers opened against No. 12 ranked Wisconsin and for the Badgers that meant the end of their NCAA title hopes.

The Badgers failed to score a single point in the game, and had their offense held down by Oregon State the entire game. The Badgers defense held up for as long as it could as after the offense repeatedly failed to get anything going, the Beavers offense simply wore down the exhausted unit on drive after drive after drive.

Heisman hopeful Montee Ball had an awful day, as the Beavers focused a lot of their defensive attention on stopping him — and that they did. Ball carried the ball 13 times and was held under 60 total yards and wasn’t allowed anywhere near the goal line for the duration of the game. Quarterback Danny O’Brien had just as bad if not a worse day through the air, as he was held under 100 yards for most of the game.

Near the end of the game, the Badgers – with their backs against the wall– tried to make it interesting by marching down the field and scoring a touchdown with under 2:00 left in the game. After that, a controversial onside kick call ruled that Wisconsin had touched that ball before it went 10 yards, and therefore the ball was awarded to the Beavers and any hope the Badgers had of winning went out the window.

But don’t be a chumbalone sports fan and blame one play and the referees. It was an utter and collective failure by the Badgers all around on Saturday, and they were exposed as the next BCS poser, a team that was ranked well, expected much from but failed in just the second week of the season. But the badgers worries and troubles don’t end with their free fall in the Top 25.

The Big Ten is shaping up to be a powerhouse conference again this year with Minnesota, Michigan State, Illinois and to some extent Purdue looking like harsh opponents. Michigan can be considered no more than a sleeper threat at this point as they too struggled in their second game of the year. But while the Wolverines struggled against Air Force, further exposing themselves also as BCS pretenders, Wisconsin wills surely fall past Michigan in the Top 25, if not out of the standings completely.

Oregon State, on the other hand, has started out their season in impressive fashion. The Beavers had publicly stated they weren’t afraid of Wisconsin to open their season and they backed that up today with a fierce showing. In stark contrast to the Badgers awful day, Sean Mannion helped lead the Beavers with a 285 yard passing day with a touchdown to boot.

The saddest part of the loss for the Badgers is the fact that the Beavers didn’t even need Mannion’s 20 yard touchdown pass in the third quarter to win. All Oregon State needed to knock of the second Top 15 team of the season was a43 yard Trevor Romaine field goal.